I’m jumping in because equality is an issue that I am passionate about. Sometimes people ask me why LGBT rights are such a big issue to me when I am not LGBT myself. The short answer is this: I believe that love is love and I believe in always doing the kindest thing. Supporting equality, human rights, love, and kindness are always the right things to me. It is also a great reason to read two books that have been hanging on by TBR pile for a while now. I’m going to read:

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. I just met him at the Decatur Book Festival (He is awesome!!) and I’ve been wanting to read this forever. So this is all win for me! I just started Every Day and I love it already!

Shineby Lauren Myracle: I’ve had Shine for a while now. I was going to go see her speak last year, but I was super sick that day. So, now I’m pulling it out again and going for it. Again, all kinds of win here!!

Today’s Question:

Literary Vacations: If you could take a trip this summer to any place within a fictional book, where would you go? Tell us about your summer dream vacation!

My answer came pretty quickly, which is funny because I am so not decisive!
I would totally choose Hogwarts! I’ve wanted to be a witch my whole life! Every year on my birthday, I (not so secretly) hope that this will be the year that I get my powers (yup, still hopeful after all these years). My mom teases me and always asks every birthday if it happened. Alas, no such luck yet!

I would LOVE it at Hogwarts. I would totally bring my cat Yankee with me. She’d love it! Poor Shakespeare would have to stay at home, he just isn’t magical enough (sorry Shakes!). I would be all over that castle, checking out every room, trying out new potions and spells, and staying away from Snape and Filch! It would be EPIC! I just know that I’d be an excellent witch and totally rock that whole place!

This September, we went to NYC for a family reunion and were lucky enough to see Harry Potter: The Exhibition at Discovery Times Square. I loved seeing all the props, costumes, and pictures from the movies. I got to sit in Hagrid’s chair, throw a Quaffle in the Quidditch area, and pull a Mandrake! It was so awesome! We haven’t made the trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, at Universal’s Islands of Adventure® theme park yet, but it is on my Oh My Gosh We Need To Do This!! List! We really need to make that happen soon!

I really want to be a part of that world, especially now that Voldemort isn’t a threat!

Here’s what Schmoopy and I were reading on our flight to Chicago. We both finished on our books during the flight home! Since I got this His & Hers idea after takeoff, he really couldn’t refuse my request *evil grin*

I was totally reluctant to read Thumped! I didn’t like Bumped, not one bit. I even threw it across the room when I finished the last page (yes, I put myself in time-out after that).

After reading Thumped, I see that I just didn’t get Bumped. I read it at a point of my life that wasn’t the best time to read a book about kids and babies and infertility and all that. I get that now. Let’s just call it bad timing on my part.

This week I read Thumped and really appreciated it. I laughed and cried in all the right places. I got the clever use of language and appreciated how Megan McCafferty created this super believable, yet terrifyingly realistic, world in the not too distant future where all of this could totally happen. I loved all the language and creative names of everything. So clever! She also expertly crafted a fun read that calls attention to serious issues. That is no easy task. I won’t get political or talk religion, but I do appreciate her attention to both and the way Bumped& Thumped will get some people thinking about things in a way they may not have before. To accomplish that in a way that is both nonthreatening & entertaining is super impressive! I also loved the familiar references to Princeton, NJ (very close to where I grew up). So fun!

I don’t think I need to re-read Bumped, but I do have a new appreciation and respect for both books now!
I give them both 5 Blings!

Get Bumped& Thumpedfor yourself at your local library, your favorite independent bookstore, or online by clicking the pictures below: